Our second Sunday of Advent...

Slushy snow slowed our entrance into the church parking lot as we arrived at Balgonie Baptist.  We carefully picked our way through puddles and ice to the front door.  Bill held the door open - our faithful usher who greeted us with a smile and handed us a bulletin.

We greeted our brothers and sisters in Christ with hugs and handshakes.  It had been over a month since we had been at our own church as our ministry takes us away from home most weekends.  The lovely greenery, wreaths and Nativity scene adorned the foyer and the sanctuary, stirring the familiar festive feelings of the season.  Ray, our regular pianist, softly played Christmas carols as the worshipers visited and began to take their seats.

Dave started with announcements and prayer, in the normal Sunday order of service.  Val and her granddaughter led in a couple worship songs. The "other Dave" led us in reading Scripture and praying for the congregation.  And then the Kramer family, mom, dad and four children came forward.  As mom and the three oldest children read the Advent scriptures, the youngest girl lit the two candles of the Advent wreath (with her dad's help!).  

Some people have grown up in churches where the tradition of Advent is expected.  Each year, the themes of Joy, Love, Peace and Hope, each represented by candles, are celebrated.  They point the way to the final candle, the Christ Candle, that is to be lit on Christmas Eve.  This is all meant to prepare our hearts and build anticipation of the first coming or advent of Jesus, our Saviour.  I've always loved and treasured this tradition.

I realize that for some, this seems very formal and liturgical.  It may remind some of their religious past that didn't hold much meaning for them personally.  They saw the form of religion but missed the relationship with God Himself!  When we were church-planting in inner city Regina, we began the tradition of Advent candles and it became quite special to many folks.  One year we were busy and hadn't prepared for this practice as December approached.  One of our church attenders asked, "Aren't we going to do the candle-thing this year?"  They looked genuinely disappointed.  I responded, "I didn't think anyone would really miss it if we didn't..." To which the person looked surprised and said, "But, it's tradition!"  

Whether you celebrate Advent, or not, isn't the issue.  My challenge to you is:  what are you doing to prepare for Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

 How did you spend the first Sunday of Advent?

We woke up before sunrise, which isn't that difficult in December!  Our hosts were making coffee and rustling in the kitchen.  Walter and I quickly got ourselves up, showered and ready for the day.  

The day before we had driven from Regina to Osler, SK, to have lunch with friends.  After a delicious chicken quesadilla lunch and frozen pumpkin dessert, we reluctantly said goodbye and made our way to the NCEM office outside Prince Albert.

We unloaded 10 boxes of Tribal Trails t-shirts (1,000 t-shirts of every size and colour imaginable) and several pairs of boots donated to the ministry.  We reloaded with some more PR supplies and 6 boxes of Bibles to bring back to Regina. After a quick visit with a couple of staff members who happened to be around, we headed to town again to have supper with friends.  It was so cold up north - 8 degrees Celsius colder than when we left balmy Regina!  It was difficult to leave our friends' warm home after a meal and hot cup of tea.  

Alas, we ventured out in the cold to drive across the city of Prince Albert to another friends' home for the night.  They greeted us with more offers of food and a hot beverage.  We had a wonderful visit and finally excused ourselves to bed at 11 pm.  That's late for old folks like us!

We watched the sun rise as we sat at the breakfast table.  With full bellies and strong coffee to fortify us, Walter and I jumped into the warmed vehicle to drive to Melfort, SK for church.  We had never been to the Free Methodist Church there and wanted to be early.  Between following a snow plow for the first 15 minutes, then dealing with ice and snow patches on the highway, it took over an hour to drive 88 kilometres!  We made it to the church with 15 minutes to spare.  

What a friendly welcome we experienced as we brought in our gear.  The elderly folks were thankful to have us share the Word as they are between pastors.  With about a dozen parishioners in the pews, we sang the familiar Christmas hymns and joined our new friends in their prayer time.  Walter preached Matthew 28 on the Great Commission;  I sang an Advent song I wrote "O Candlelight."  One of the ladies lit the Advent candle and another read Scriptures about the promise of the coming Messiah.  It was a special service as we celebrated the Christian tradition that many others celebrated around the world!  We had never met these believers before, but in Christ, this common practice of Advent bound us together.

The woman who had contacted Walter about preaching offered to take us for lunch.  We enjoyed a delicious meal at Venice House and reluctantly said we needed to hit the road for the 3 hour drive back home.  The pale blue winter sky and white whisps of smoke rising from chimneys made a pretty picture as we journeyed down the number 6 highway.  I saw several mule deer in belly deep snow near a bluff of leafless trees.  The roads were mostly clear and the trip was uneventful.  

Home sweet home as dusk stole over the prairie.

 Yes, it's that time of year!

Christmas music is playing in the mall; colourful lights are displayed around our neighbourhood; eggnog is back in the milk cooler at Safeway!

What do YOU do to prepare for the holidays?

Our daughter was home last week for some appointments, so we took that opportunity to set up our tree and decorate the house.  I've listened to a few of my Christmas CD's as I work in the kitchen or sweep the floors.  And surprisingly, I have 4 gifts under the tree, wrapped and ready to go!  I'm feeling pretty good about my Christmas preparations.

Some folks like to begin an Advent devotional and I have one given to me as a gift last year.  I will start to read it daily beginning on December 1, the first Sunday in Advent.  Others are reading the book of Luke (which has 24 chapters) and will read one chapter a day right up to Christmas Eve.  This will give not only the account of Jesus' birth but also His life, teachings and the reason He came to earth - to die on a cross to pay for the sins of the whole world!  

But the story of Jesus Christ doesn't end with His birth; and it also doesn't end with His death.  He gave His life on a Friday but rose again on Sunday!

So before you get too involved in shopping, baking, and running to all the festive parties and events and concerts... take a moment.  Consider the real reason we celebrate Christmas and learn more about the Christ who came for you.

 I'm a mini-farmer.

I lived some of my life on a farm.  The trees, grass, garden and fields have always felt like home to me.  My grandparents farmed.  Many of my uncles and aunts made their living on the land of Saskatchewan.  Dirt must be in my veins!

About grade five or six, I remember being assigned a project on agriculture.  In scrapbook format, my assignment involved finding and cutting out pictures of farm implements and various crops from magazines.  Somehow terms like straight-cutting versus swathing/combining have stuck in my head.  Crop rotation and summer fallow were also methods used back in the 1970's on the prairies.  Learning these things in school added to my personal knowledge gleaned from listening in on adults conversing about rainfall, fertilizer and stubble!  Farming is not just a job; it is a way of life.

Jesus used agricultural references in many of His parables and teachings.  The sower and the seed, the wheat and the tares, the sheep and wolves.  He taught on fishing, collecting taxes and lost coins, too.  Jesus knew how to bring spiritual truths into everyday life by using everyday examples to illustrate.  

Although as a grown-up I have never lived or worked on a farm, I love to grow things.  In my young wife and mother days, I tried to garden.  The soil in my garden plots was mostly clay and not very productive. We hauled in sand, added manure and peat moss. A few years we enjoyed some fresh vegetables.  The weeds and gophers enjoyed the fruits of my labours in other years!

Now lately, I seem to have developed a green thumb with flower beds and indoor plants.  It is amazing how some regular watering and occasional fertilizer treatments will aid in the growth and blooming of many annuals and perennials.  Spider plants and succulents have thrived in my home.  Surprisingly, I have successfully kept an African Violet and some coleus plants alive, as well. I have even passed on slips from these plants to family and friends!  There is a sense of pride and pleasure to plant, water and nurture life.

This morning in my quiet time with the Lord, I read Hosea 10:12 and it stirred something in me.  "Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you."

Is it the mini-farmer in me that causes this Scripture verse to resonate with my heart?  For whatever reason, I recalled the assignment from elementary school on summer fallow and wondered:  What is the significance of breaking up the fallow ground?  Letting a field lie fallow was a good thing; it gave the soil a chance to replenish nutrients and rest.  But a farmer must work up that soil and plant it or it would be useless.  There is a time to till the earth, sow the seed and grow the crops needed to supply the farmer and his family.

The prophet Hosea was speaking to his people, the Jews living in Israel.  They had experienced some seasons of wealth and prosperity, but had forsaken their worship of God, Yahweh, the Lord.  Their spiritual lives were drying up and lying fallow.  They were not bearing the fruit or crops of righteousness.  Twice, Hosea mentions that term, righteousness.  According to GotQuestions.org,     "Dictionaries define righteousness as “behavior that is morally justifiable or right.” Such behavior is characterized by accepted standards of morality, justice, virtue, or uprightness. The Bible’s standard of human righteousness is God’s own perfection in every attribute, every attitude, every behavior, and every word. Thus, God’s laws, as given in the Bible, both describe His own character and constitute the plumb line by which He measures human righteousness."

So Hosea exhorts his fellow Jews to sow, to break up the fallow ground and seek the Lord.  He seems to mix together the spiritual terms and the agricultural terms.  Sow?  Seeds of righteousness and the result would be to reap mercy.  The Israelites were not paying attention to loving God, to loving their neighbours nor to being examples in their relationship to others outside the Jewish faith. They were not living according to God's standards and His ways as taught in the Law, or the commandments of the Bible.  And just as in earthly farming, the soil of their hearts had been left fallow, not being worked or having stones and debris removed.  They had allowed sin, selfishness and spiritual laziness to keep them from growing in their relationship with the Lord their God.

Hosea promised that if they would sow righteousness and break the ground, they would be prepared to receive the blessings (rain) from the Lord Himself!  Today if you were to sit down and have coffee with a bunch of farmers, the talk would be about the weather and specifically about the moisture or lack of it.  Physically and spiritually, we need the rain.  Water is symbolic of eternal life, of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Oh, how we need God's rain from heaven!

But God will not rain on our hearts unless we seek Him.  What does that entail?  Seeking God involves repentance, turning away from sinful thoughts, words and actions.  Seeking God means praying, asking Him for what we need.  Seeking God is saying Yes to living His way, not our own way.  In another Bible verse, the prophet Jeremiah wrote to the Israelites, " And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."  Seeking God is an "all in" kind of effort, searching for Him diligently, daily, directly.  And He promises to be found by those who sincerely pursue Him.

I am stirred to seek the Lord, to break up the hardened and rocky ground in my soul, and wait for Him to pour out the spiritual rain I so need.

What about you?

 

So, as promised, here are some photos of the finished product of my attempt at antique restoration.  What a wonderful feeling to complete a project, especially after some difficulties and obstacles!  A friend cut some mirror glass for me so now the mirror is also complete.  

The remainder of our summer has flown by...we had taken a three-month mini-sabbatical for rest before we take on a new season of ministry.  Tomorrow is our first official day back.  We have a trip planned starting this week and are looking forward to connecting with folks once again.

Highlights of the summer were: building a deck for my mom, visiting our granddaughter, taking a trip to Medora, North Dakota to an outdoor musical, lazy days at our cabin, and the grand finale - our Selke Family Labour Day Classic weekend hosted by Caylea up at Big River Bible Camp!

And just like that, the summer is over.  Kids are back to school, Bible camps are over for the year, combines are running day and night to get the harvest in.  A tinge of gold is appearing in the trees.  Autumn is approaching with its unique beauty.  God's handiwork in the seasons is one of the reasons I worship Him!

On this final day off, we enjoyed fellowship and the Word at Balgonie Baptist, went out for lunch with our friends and then slipped home to spend a quiet afternoon reading in the backyard.  Leftovers for supper and maybe a Sunday night movie and popcorn.

Tomorrow is the dawn of a new adventure!  Thank you for following our crazy lives and praying for us as we continue to serve the Lord.

I'm not a crafty person.  My experience in Home Ec. class was a disaster during the sewing portion.  I have learned to knit, crochet and embroider - Mom did try to instill some homemaking skills in me- but I've never loved doing those things.  

And don't get me started on drawing, painting and the like.  My projects are epic fails.  When I used to teach Sunday School, little kids would mistake my "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" as a mongrel dog! So if you do see me doing something in the arts and crafts department, it will be for the social time and not the actual activity.

But of late, I thought I'd try my hand at refinishing a piece of antique furniture.  Some friends of ours were getting rid of old items they found on their new acreage and we happened to be around at just that moment.  So we dragged two dressers home; they were in good shape and had all the drawers, legs and most of their hardware.  I saw potential in these pieces and asked myself: how hard can this be?

I recall my Mom refinishing an old fold-down desk that had several coats of lead-based paint on it. Mom used some kind of product/chemical to remove the layers of green, cream and blue paint and scraped and wiped until the natural wood was revealed.  After it was cleaned thoroughly, Mom applied Danish oil, which brought out the beautiful wood grain and enhanced the colour, a soft honey-gold oak, if I remember correctly.  The desk became mine; the writing surface lowered and it contained cubby-holes where my little notes and pictures and keepsakes could be hidden away from pesky eyes!  

Somehow, my childhood memory didn't account for the difficulty of removing paint, layers of historical eras of fashion and style.  I don't remember Mom being frustrated or delayed in the project.  One day the desk was painted a hospital green, the next it seemed to be a lovely antique.  Reality is that as I have applied various chemical products, scraped and used much "elbow grease" and still the paint is taking  forever to get off the old dresser. 

The antique effect that had been quite popular must have involved two or three applications of product to produce said effect.  Last fall I experimented with the various methods of removal and then let the project lie for the winter.  I finally got to it this week.  And made some reasonable progress...

The larger dresser had a mirror, with various ornate pieces on the bracket that attached the glass to the chest of drawers.  I had done most of my experimenting on the littler pieces to find which method worked best.  But after realizing how difficult and time-consuming this would be, I've decided to just tackle the smaller dresser and then finish and repair the mirror to be hung above the little dresser.  

I'm doing the project in the shade outside, out of the heat.  And hopefully before the snow flies, I can post pictures of the final results of all my work.  The wood is a light birch (as Walter can ascertain) and I think it will look rich with a coat or two of Danish Oil and some new drawer pulls.  The mirror frame is probably of a similar wood, but the glass is broken.  I will refinish the frame first and then see if it is worth replacing that mirror.  

Any advice from those of you who've done this type of thing before?  Let me know any tricks, tips and shortcuts that may be helpful for a novice like me!!!

 Cottage, cabin, summer home.

All these conjure up in my mind quaint, rustic and simple structures.  Basic shelter for sleeping or protection from inclement weather, but nothing fancy or ornate.

That's what we have as a get-away spot!

Some history: over 25 years ago, one of our dear First Nations friends offered us the use of her cabin at Sandy Beach (between Lebret and Katepwa in the Qu'Appelle Valley).  Gloria and her late husband owned this cabin and they and their family had enjoyed wonderful times there.  But all their children had moved away from the area and now Gloria wasn't using it as much.  So we got a set of keys and directions to locate the cabin and away we went!

The lot is a lovely treed space with a front and back access for parking.  Tall birch and elm trees towered over us, with overgrown and scraggly Caragana bushes lining one side of the lot. There were two wells on the property; neither one was working as no one had used or maintained them in recent years.  So we took it upon ourselves to tidy up and work on a few projects around the cabin and lot in exchange for the use of the space.

The cabin itself is a two-room 30 foot by 40 foot building.  Set up on concrete blocks, there is no basement or true foundation.  A lean-to was attached to the side with a separate entrance off the narrow deck.  It was used for a wash space and storage, or extra sleeping area.  The main room had a large picture window along one wall, couch and two chairs all circa 1950's to 1970's style.  The kitchen area had a small sink, two feet of counter space, a regular electric stove with a small fridge across from it.  A square table and four chairs sat beside the fridge, giving only two feet of walking/working space.  The corner of the cabin contained a tiny bedroom with a 3/4 mattress, small dresser and open closet with shelf and row of hangers underneath.  A sliding door separated the bedroom from the living room.  A window opened onto the lean-to from the bedroom and the kitchen, so clearly it was an after-thought!  

It was fun and cute and our kids thought it was fantastic!  They were all under 10 years old back then and their standards and expectations were pretty simple.  

The main living space was outdoors.  A picnic table, firepit area and lots of open grass for playing games and catch with a football or frisbee.  Ideal for active kids.  As we explored, we found a shed filled with rake, shovel, lawnmower, random tools and containers of nails, screws and such.  The shelves were laden with old pails and shovels for the beach and toys for outdoors.  Treasures!

And then tucked beyond the shed in the trees and bushes was a white, one-seater outhouse.  Cobwebs, odor and squeaky hinged door all made for wrinkled up noses and hesitation to use this facility.  But we cleaned it up, using disinfectant and a broom and soon it was not so bad.

After a year or so of using this cabin, Gloria offered it to us and our co-pastor's family for sale.  None of her kids wanted the property and Gloria's health was declining.  She made us a deal we couldn't refuse and so we bought it in installments along with our friends.  We made plans to open it up for the season on the May long weekend.  Our two families packed up food, tools and cleaning supplies and went to work.  Noisy fun and some progress was made as we removed plywood covers from the windows, repaired some rotting wood rails on the deck and trimmed trees and grass.  We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, and enjoyed the fruits of our labours!  

Since then, we have spent a couple of weeks a year, or maybe the odd long weekend there with our family.  With no functioning well, we have to haul all water for drinking and cleaning.  Spit baths are all one can perform at the cabin; we used to have access to the campground coin-op showers but not these days.  So hosting our whole family now that we have spouses and a grandbaby isn't really possible.  But the memories are so special and we cherish the adventures over the years.

Hiking the trans-Canada trail, days at Katepwa Beach, fishing and boating, tours of the Motherwell Homestead, watching fireworks on July 1...great times together!

This summer, Walter and I have spent a couple stretches of time sitting around the fire, cutting grass and piling up kindling and firewood, driving our quad along the trail or up the valley on the backroads, and cooking over the open fire as often as possible.  The cabin was used for our pastors' day retreat, kids/youth campout, personal prayer retreats and family vacations.  I remember we hosted a corn roast for about 30 people one year!

With some planning, we can rig up a showerhouse and add more sleeping space with RV/camper trailers pulled onsite.  I think "Gloria's Cabin" will still have lots of use in the future!  I sure hope so.  The cabin is one of my "happy places" and God's gift to us when we need rest.